thedrifter
03-10-06, 12:19 PM
Muscles, motivation push Marine to the top
MCB Quantico
Story by:Cpl. Susan Smith
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va.(March 9, 2006) -- The bodies on the front of the magazines are like pieces of sculpted art — each rock solid muscle on the right side mirrored by a bulging muscle on the left with a roadmap of veins spread throughout. Above the magazine-covered table are photographs of a man straining to lift beach-ball sized stones, flipping over tires, and standing with an award in his hands. And seated behind a computer is the man from the photographs, wearing a snug gray “USMC” T-shirt.
James A. Coleman was not always the 200-pound master sergeant he is today. In fact, he graduated from boot camp at just 130 pounds. He started putting the pounds — of muscle that is — on his 5-foot-7-inch frame in 1995. A gunnery sergeant he worked with at the brig at Camp Pendleton, Calif., trained and competed in bodybuilding and recruited him into the cutthroat sport.
The many aspects of training for competitions soon consumed much of his life – six hours a day of lifting, posing, tanning and preparing his meals.
Coleman placed high in bodybuilding competitions, but never in first place.
“Bodybuilding is a very objective sport. You never really know just what the judges are looking for,” he said. “You may be too tall. You may be too short. Are they looking for size, or are they looking for definition?”
According to Coleman, the competition did not begin or end on stage, but rather behind the scenes.
“People are always trying to psyche you out,” he explained. “They tell you ‘eat this’ or ‘eat that.’ They are always looking for a way to get the best of you.”
Coleman was hooked by a love for muscle-building, but turned off by the ruthless behavior and unhealthy dieting that comes along with bodybuilding. And after two years of competition, Coleman focused his strength on a new sport — power lifting. He got serious about the activity when he was transferred to Quantico.
Power lifting consists of three lifts: bench press, dead lift and the squat. For this sport, judges do not look at the competitors’ body fat percentage, or the symmetry of their muscles – it is all about pure strength and raw power.
“When you are power lifting, you either lift the weight or you don’t lift the weight,” Coleman said. “Nobody can take that from you.”
His personal bests in the sport are 500 pounds on the bench press, 650 pounds on the dead lift, and 705 pounds on the squat.
Although there are several competitors in each weight class, Coleman competes against himself and the clock. As long as he continually improves, he considers himself a winner.
Coleman quickly proved himself in the power lifting world by winning regional shows, which qualified him for national competitions. In 2001, Coleman won the Amateur Athletics Union National Power Lifting Combined Championship, which guaranteed him a spot at the AAU World Power Lifting Combined Championship in Puerto Rico.
A torn rotator cuff kept Coleman from lifting at the world championship, but it did not keep him down for long. He found an interest in another strength sport called Strongman competitions because they are “a lot of fun for the whole family.”
Coleman’s two sons, daughter, and wife of 19 years attend the competitions to cheer him on while he competes in the events that can vary from dead-lifting a car, to pressing logs, and placing stones that weigh more than 300 pounds on top of a platform nearly four feet high. He attributes his success to the undying support of his wife, Patti. His 9-year-old son plans to compete in his first power lifting competition this year.
“It’s not something I push on him, it is something he enjoys,” Coleman said. “His form is perfect. He never had time to pick up bad habits.”
The Coleman family runs 5-kilometer races together each year, so physical fitness truly is a family affair. He also brings his love of lifting and fitness to his Marine Corps family, forming and coaching a power lifting team aboard Quantico from 2001 to 2003 and a Strongman team in 2004 and 2005. When Coleman left for Iraq last year, lifting partner and friend Sgt. Jacob Willing took over the team while he was gone.
The team has dwindled to just five Marines, but Coleman and Willing are looking to rebuild the team. They encourage any Marine who is “motivated, dedicated and willing to learn” to sign on.
“Power lifting is a serious sport, and there’s no room for errors,” Coleman said. “I want Marines who are serious about competing. It’s all about performance on demand … you can talk about how much you can lift, or you can just do it.”
Coleman is working toward getting back into shape for competition. He plans to compete along the East Coast and wants to bring along as many Marines as he can get.
“I want to give back by passing on all the knowledge I’ve learned over the years,” Coleman said. “I want to help Marines make a goal and then reach it. That’s what it’s all about.”
Marines interested in training and competing in power lifting may e-mail Coleman at james.coleman@usmc.mil, or call him at (703) 784-4423.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200639153657/$file/weightlifting3.9_lores.jpg
Master Sgt. James A.Coleman strains to dead lift truck tires at a competition in Elizabeth City, N.C., in May 2004. Coleman is looking for Marines to train and compete in power lifting competitions along the East Coast this year. Photo by: Official USMC photo
WOOHOO>>>;)
Ellie
MCB Quantico
Story by:Cpl. Susan Smith
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va.(March 9, 2006) -- The bodies on the front of the magazines are like pieces of sculpted art — each rock solid muscle on the right side mirrored by a bulging muscle on the left with a roadmap of veins spread throughout. Above the magazine-covered table are photographs of a man straining to lift beach-ball sized stones, flipping over tires, and standing with an award in his hands. And seated behind a computer is the man from the photographs, wearing a snug gray “USMC” T-shirt.
James A. Coleman was not always the 200-pound master sergeant he is today. In fact, he graduated from boot camp at just 130 pounds. He started putting the pounds — of muscle that is — on his 5-foot-7-inch frame in 1995. A gunnery sergeant he worked with at the brig at Camp Pendleton, Calif., trained and competed in bodybuilding and recruited him into the cutthroat sport.
The many aspects of training for competitions soon consumed much of his life – six hours a day of lifting, posing, tanning and preparing his meals.
Coleman placed high in bodybuilding competitions, but never in first place.
“Bodybuilding is a very objective sport. You never really know just what the judges are looking for,” he said. “You may be too tall. You may be too short. Are they looking for size, or are they looking for definition?”
According to Coleman, the competition did not begin or end on stage, but rather behind the scenes.
“People are always trying to psyche you out,” he explained. “They tell you ‘eat this’ or ‘eat that.’ They are always looking for a way to get the best of you.”
Coleman was hooked by a love for muscle-building, but turned off by the ruthless behavior and unhealthy dieting that comes along with bodybuilding. And after two years of competition, Coleman focused his strength on a new sport — power lifting. He got serious about the activity when he was transferred to Quantico.
Power lifting consists of three lifts: bench press, dead lift and the squat. For this sport, judges do not look at the competitors’ body fat percentage, or the symmetry of their muscles – it is all about pure strength and raw power.
“When you are power lifting, you either lift the weight or you don’t lift the weight,” Coleman said. “Nobody can take that from you.”
His personal bests in the sport are 500 pounds on the bench press, 650 pounds on the dead lift, and 705 pounds on the squat.
Although there are several competitors in each weight class, Coleman competes against himself and the clock. As long as he continually improves, he considers himself a winner.
Coleman quickly proved himself in the power lifting world by winning regional shows, which qualified him for national competitions. In 2001, Coleman won the Amateur Athletics Union National Power Lifting Combined Championship, which guaranteed him a spot at the AAU World Power Lifting Combined Championship in Puerto Rico.
A torn rotator cuff kept Coleman from lifting at the world championship, but it did not keep him down for long. He found an interest in another strength sport called Strongman competitions because they are “a lot of fun for the whole family.”
Coleman’s two sons, daughter, and wife of 19 years attend the competitions to cheer him on while he competes in the events that can vary from dead-lifting a car, to pressing logs, and placing stones that weigh more than 300 pounds on top of a platform nearly four feet high. He attributes his success to the undying support of his wife, Patti. His 9-year-old son plans to compete in his first power lifting competition this year.
“It’s not something I push on him, it is something he enjoys,” Coleman said. “His form is perfect. He never had time to pick up bad habits.”
The Coleman family runs 5-kilometer races together each year, so physical fitness truly is a family affair. He also brings his love of lifting and fitness to his Marine Corps family, forming and coaching a power lifting team aboard Quantico from 2001 to 2003 and a Strongman team in 2004 and 2005. When Coleman left for Iraq last year, lifting partner and friend Sgt. Jacob Willing took over the team while he was gone.
The team has dwindled to just five Marines, but Coleman and Willing are looking to rebuild the team. They encourage any Marine who is “motivated, dedicated and willing to learn” to sign on.
“Power lifting is a serious sport, and there’s no room for errors,” Coleman said. “I want Marines who are serious about competing. It’s all about performance on demand … you can talk about how much you can lift, or you can just do it.”
Coleman is working toward getting back into shape for competition. He plans to compete along the East Coast and wants to bring along as many Marines as he can get.
“I want to give back by passing on all the knowledge I’ve learned over the years,” Coleman said. “I want to help Marines make a goal and then reach it. That’s what it’s all about.”
Marines interested in training and competing in power lifting may e-mail Coleman at james.coleman@usmc.mil, or call him at (703) 784-4423.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200639153657/$file/weightlifting3.9_lores.jpg
Master Sgt. James A.Coleman strains to dead lift truck tires at a competition in Elizabeth City, N.C., in May 2004. Coleman is looking for Marines to train and compete in power lifting competitions along the East Coast this year. Photo by: Official USMC photo
WOOHOO>>>;)
Ellie